Chapter 63

Jolted awake by the sound of a ringing phone wasn't how Jadon wanted to wake up in the morning. It took him a second to orient himself and understand why half his body felt so heavy and warm.

Amazed by the sight that met him, Jadon almost forgot what had woken him up. Tapiwa was half sprawled on top of his body with her head resting on his chest. Now that he was awake, he could feel her warm breath fan the little strands of hair he had between his pecks. Her hair was a bird's nest, twisted around her head and falling on him.

The sight of her slightly parted lips and the drool collected between her cheek and his skin was a surprise but super cute and added a sense of normalcy to everything. It was just the right amount of imperfection to assure him he wasn't dreaming.

Then again, the shrill of the phone cutting through the silence also did that.

Jadon grumbled under his breath and tried to reach for the phone on his bedside table without moving Tapiwa too much. It didn't work. Between the annoying sound coming from the phone and his moving muscles under her body, he saw her eyelids twitch and then lift to reveal sleepy, unfocused eyes.

"Sorry," he immediately apologized.

Confused eyes looked up at him and then the sound of the phone seemed to register and she moved off his body mumbling an apology, her cheeks gaining a darker shade.

Jadon quickly grabbed the phone and then groaned when he saw it was his father calling. Without hesitation, he rejected the call and then set the phone in airplane mode before he dropped it back on the bedside table. He didn't know what the man wanted, but he wasn't willing to destroy his newfound peace so early in the morning. Whatever Lewis Paterson wanted could wait another hour or two.

"Who was it?" Tapiwa's drowsy voice cut through Jadon's thoughts.

His gaze snapped toward her. She had scooted to the edge of the bed and was attempting to finger-comb her hair into something resembling order, but it didn't seem to be working. Jadon's eyes roamed over her naked body, still on display, loving the few finger-shaped bruises that marred her perfect skin like witnesses to the long, passionate night they had shared.

Without hesitation, his morning wood got harder and immediately caught Tapiwa's attention. She stared at it a second and then looked back up at him and licked her lips. The act made Jadon's hard cock twitch, but before he could grab her and resume their night activities, she jumped off the bed and shook a finger at him.

"Don't even think about it. I need a shower and food. I'm not a robot, Jadon."

Jadon scoffed. "I know you are not a robot."

Tapiwa folded her arms under her breasts and nodded at him. "Good. Then you agree I need food and a shower before you can do whatever is going through your brain."

"Your nipples are hard."

Tapiwa narrowed her eyes on him. "Food, Mr. Paterson."

He threw his head back and laughed. Jadon was loving it, so he couldn't help pushing her a little. "Last I checked, I was the one expelling bodily fluids the whole time, so-"

Tapiwa threw up a hand in front of him. "Don't finish that. For all our sake."

More laughter fell from Jadon's mouth, but he didn't say more and stood up from the bed, giving her the perfect view of his naked body as he walked toward the bathroom. Jadon didn't miss the muttered curse, and he laughed some more, knowing she was as affected as he was by this.

They showered together and Jadon managed to convince Tapiwa into a quick one before he helped her out and took her to the kitchen for breakfast that he made as she sat down at the island and watched him.

Two boiled eggs, toast, and a large cup of coffee later, Tapiwa finally looked ready for anything Jadon had in mind. She even smiled when he teased her about rewarding the cook.

"The reward would be very small," she teased back. "That wasn't exactly five-star cuisine."

Jadon mock frowned. "I thought it's the thought that counts." Given how their last two breakfast attempts had gone, Jadon had opted for something simple that was guaranteed not to burn. They could do fancy another day.

Tapiwa chuckled. The warm sound brought a smile to his face. Then he had more reason to smile when she leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek for his reward.

"I could get used to this," he suddenly blurted out.

The words froze Tapiwa in the process of collecting their dirty plates. She studied him for a beat. "Get used to what exactly?" she asked tentatively.

Jadon didn't miss a beat. He waved a hand in the air. "This. Everything. Waking up with you. Having some naughty fun in the shower." He winked. "Breakfast together. Just everything."

Another beat passed. Tapiwa set the plates back down and retook her seat next to Jadon. Her eyes searched his, but he wasn't certain what she was looking for. Thankfully, she spoke and solved the puzzle.

"So, you were serious about the proposal yesterday?"

That wasn't what Jadon had been expecting to hear. He frowned. "You thought I wasn't?"

She shrugged. "The thought crossed my mind for a second or two. Maybe it was a heat of the moment thing."

Jadon shook his head. "I'm dead serious. I plan to get you a ring as soon as possible. Today, if I manage to pry myself away from you long enough. Or perhaps we can go together so that you can pick something you'd like. Then we will get married as soon as we both feel we are ready. Hopefully, not too far in the future."

"I'm not sure how my father will take this," Tapiwa confessed. She raised her right hand to the back of her neck and rubbed nervously. "What if he refuses and insists on this old man he picked?"

During the course of the night, after one of the many love-making sessions, Tapiwa had finally shared with Jadon who the selected candidate her father had picked was. To say that Jadon wasn't impressed was an understatement.

"I don't care if your father accepts or not. This is about us, not him. Don't worry. I will make it happen."

Tapiwa smiled at him, but Jadon could tell she didn't fully believe him and that was okay. He was going to prove to her that nothing was going to stand in their way to be together. Absolutely nothing.

But before he could say anything more on the matter, a sudden sharp bang pierced the silence. Tapiwa's wide, frightened eyes snapped to his and then the hallway, when another bang that sounded suspiciously like gunfire cut through the air again.

The sound was coming from their front door. Jadon stood immediately and put himself between Tapiwa and the door. What the hell was going on now, he wondered, even as he mentally prepared himself for whatever was coming at them.